“Oh my goodness, what a question,” she began, adding: “Actually I haven’t thought of it because my International Women’s Day is heavily focussed on what we are doing on domestic violence. So it’s not going to have the time to have the girls round and have an evening together I’m afraid.”

Etchingham tried again, suggesting the PM thought about what her “dream moment” would be.

“Well, I don’t think that when you let your hair down there’s only one way of doing it. I think it depends on the group that you’ve got, it depends on the time.

“But as I say, my International Women’s Day is rather more focused not on what we can do to enjoy ourselves but actually on what we can do to help women out there, women who are suffering, women who are being abused and whose lives are being made a daily living hell.”

Though others had sympathy.

I know it’s cool to hate MayBot but I’m actually ok having someone in charge who’s incredibly boring, unemotional and focused on work. I also always suspect, as a woman, that’s how she HAD to be to get to that job. (That’s my #IWD tuppence) https://t.co/W17WhCsdRc

I know we're mocking Theresa May for her answer, but a question about "letting your hair down with a couple of girlfriends" is such a ridiculous concept to ask of a senior female politician. https://t.co/EAbladDnZu